“I’m Not Tony Stark.”

My son and I are fans of the MCU. We love us a good superhero movie. I don’t think there is a character I don’t like, but one of my absolute favorites is Tony Stark. (Unironically, my favorite DC hero is Batman. Arrogant business owners whose only superpowers are their money and intelligence. Does that say something about me?)

This morning, I was scrolling the book of faces waiting on said son to get ready for his orthodontist appointment. As I scrolled, a meme came up in my feed.

The scene the meme is referencing goes like this:

“Well, I’m sorry. I’m not Tony Stark.”

When I was at the ladies’ conference this weekend, I caught myself looking at one of the ladies and saying, “I want to be her.” I immediately caught myself and went through the whole thought process. I don’t really want to actually be this woman. But I saw qualities in her that I wanted to possess as well. Characteristics that I admired and would love to see in myself. Maybe even that I see my potential for, but just haven’t figured out how to get there yet.

How often do we try to be someone we aren’t? Or more specifically, someone God didn’t intend us to be. We want to do this or have that or be like them. We feel like we don’t measure up, or that their attributes are better than ours. Maybe we hold them to a high standard that we feel would be impossible for us to meet. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been guilty of this.

• “If only I had her talent/gift.”
• “If only I was as outgoing and bubbly as her.”
• “If only I was as good at _____ as she is.”
• “If only I was as organized and motivated as she is.”
• “If only I was as put together as she is.”
• “if only I looked like her.”

You get the idea. If we aren’t careful, we will “if only…” ourselves to death.

But God created you to be you and me to be me. How boring life would be if we were all the same! It’s funny how we can see the best qualities in other people, but completely overlook our own. (I am totally preaching to myself here.) We need to find and focus on what is unique and wonderful about ourselves. Because God made each of us, a masterpiece, in His image. He made you just as He wanted you to be. He doesn’t want you to be anyone else. And I guarantee you, there is someone out there looking at you, seeing the God-qualities shining out of you, thinking “if only…”

So, repeat after me, “I am not [somebody else’s name, even though they’re cool and awesome and you really admire them]. I am [your name, because God made you unique and in His image and that makes you cool and special and awesome, too].

Bonus: You’re getting a “two-fer” today. Go back and look at the first meme again.

I’ll give you a second……………………..

It talks about Tony being unappreciated, or at least under appreciated, by his team. It’s easy to become jaded to someone’s brilliance when we are blinded with it day in and day out. Not only become jaded to, but take for granted. But did you pay attention to who did take notice? The villain. Now guess who takes notice of you? Mmhmm. The villain of our story. He’s not taking your talents for granted. And he will do everything he can to beat you down. I have noticed, and maybe you have, too, that when I am feeling like the devil is pressing in all around me, hitting me with everything he’s got – that’s when I do the most growing and become stronger in Jesus. The harder he tries to hurt me, the deeper I dig in. Once that battle is over, I’m better equipped for the next one. (And as long as we are on this earth, there will always be a next one.)

Analyze your own assets. Treasure your own talents. Cultivate what counts. Prune what’s pernicious. And fearlessly find your joy through Jesus.